T - My god this might be the single best beer over 14% I had! Over Samichlaus in fact! Smooth caramel and dark fruit flavors clash with a perfect balance of hops and malt. Could it be that I had some sort of different beer on tap?

M - With no ABV burn and balanced taste this one drinks around 8 or 9. So smooth and dangerously drinkable.

Overall man I have no idea what I was served on tap. Maybe it was that bourbon barrel aged barleywine, but my old review still stands since I am not sure. I would easily kill a bomber to myself no problem but these 12oz bottles are perfect for one a sitting. Maybe I will go back and mix/match the last two... (852 characters)

Finally decided to pop this one open after a particularly crazy day on the job... Poured as an after-dinner nightcap, it could have been dessert as well...

Sweet boozy raisins are the first thing that comes to my mind when getting the aroma of this... Hints of chocolate and licorice here and there as well... A healthy dose of alcohol, for sure, but it doesn't seem to distract at all... Perhaps a hint of pineyness to this as well?

Very sweet maltiness coats the palate right away bringing the fruitiness and licorice with it... Shot of booze with a piney hop presence... A little chocolate... Some raisins... Very syrupy and sweet... A sipper for sure... I'm drinking this alone and I may be sorry for it... Very intense and sweet although quite tasty... Struggling towards the end as the sugars began to weigh me down a bit...

I liked this beer but a bomber is too much for one person. The ABV didn't get me but the sweetness did... Still, really nice... (961 characters)

t - Big licorice and toffee, all soaked in booze. I rather enjoy it. It's like a big imperial stout with a jagermeister shot depth charge. Super aggressive and exciting to sip. Increasingly smooth as it warms to room temperature.

m - Sticky, thick, a bit more oily than others in this range. Could use a little boost maybe.

o - Enjoyable. I'm glad I've got a few of these to mature. They could use a bit of balance but, that being said, a really splendid pick. (748 characters)

It is hard not to love what they have done with their anniversary series. This time the bottle price went up about 3 bucks, but it is still a great value at 15% under 9 dollars.

With a strong pour I get a rich bread crusty brown head that stands nearly three fingers. Retention is nice and the head gets rocky and leaves lace as it slowly fades. Nose has an even balance between hops and malts as you get resiny hops and sweet malts. There is a spicy feel to the nose that is created by the hops. I take the first sip and I am taken by how big and thick this beer is yet incredibly smooth. Richness is bold and sweet with tons of malt backbone. Toffee, chocolate and molasses all come to mind. Hops play to balance the brew and bring a little dryness and nice bready bitter. Almost becomes port like as it warms. Mouthfeel is not as thick as you might expect, very nice. This is a wonderfully drinkable all night sipper. (921 characters)

Has the same appearance, once again, as all the other Jewbelations; the opaquely dark brown with red fringes, the single finger of tan head with good retention but mediocre lacing.As I should have expected, out of all the Jewbelations I tried at the event, the most recent one is the only one that has IMHO too much harshly alcoholic booze in both the aroma and in the taste. Really, this one could use some cellaring time to mellow out for a while. Putting that issue aside, aroma also contains the usual suspects: Brown sugar, molasses, and a surprising whiff of green apple peel blended in with the dark fruits. Most of the hopping aromas I could piece apart were of the citric peel variety, the rest were sprinkles of herbal tones.Flavor wise, this Jewbelation stands out from the rest in being significantly sweeter than the rest of the crowd, it is practically a Samichlaus clone on my palate...for both sugary sweet caramel / vanilla-dipped fruity flavor and heavy, syrupy body texture. When I swirled the glass, I could actually see the streaky 'legs' of the alcohol residue in there quite clearly.

So, my recommendation is to be certain that you are in the mood for something heavy and sweet like a Samichlaus if you are going to sample Jewbelation 15 relatively fresh. Its good, and probably even better once given some cellar time to mellow out the harsh solvent tones. (1,413 characters)

O- For $5.49 this has to be one of the best bombers ever!!! This has such an amazing blend of flavors that roll endlessly on the tongue! Glad I have more of this piece of brewing art!!! (766 characters)

A: dark brown with a dark brown head. not surprising considering the use of 15 malts. retention and lacing is average.

S: dates and figs. grapes. vinous. a little bit of vanilla. pleasant sweet aromas. not nearly getting a similar hop presence, but i really cant say that i mind. the malt makes for quite the symphony.

T: sweet bomb. the 15 malts are definitely showing. the 15 hops? meh, not so much. im struggling to find balance here....drinks more like an english barleywine. similar fruit flavors that were in the nose.

M: moderate amount of fizz. some bottle conditioning would be a nice treat for something of this magnitude. full bodied.

D: overall, this is still a pleasant sipper. not nearly as much heat as i expected. however, definitely worth sharing rather than ripping this bomber back solo. (881 characters)

This is a thick, chewy beer; very complex in flavors. Molasses, brown sugar dominate the flavors. A very sweet tasting beer with ever so slight smokiness and noticeable vanilla and sweet chocolate overtones. The aftertaste brings out a little bitterness that takes the edge off of the alcohol warmth.

This is one big, complex, well-balanced and powerful brew. Incredibly rich and enticing. (593 characters)

A - Pitch black with a very thick and long lasting tan head. Lacing looks good.

S - Malty sweetness and semi-sweet chocolate up front strong. Caramel and roast moderately strong in the middle, a touch of vanilla and alcohol finish off the nose. Smells disappear moderately quick.

T - Intense malt sweetness up front. Honey, vanilla, and milk chocolate are all moderately strong after that. Alcohol is pronounced throughout as well. Burnt marshmallow and more chocolate round off the taste.

M - Heavy bodied and slick. Good carbonation levels and surprisingly not crazy amounts of alcohol burn for a 15% beer.

O - A very good beer from Shmaltz. Not the most easy to drink as its a huge beer, but a great beer to sip on and enjoy amongst friends. (748 characters)

T - The taste is pretty much on point with the aroma. There's less leather and burnt flavors and the hops finally make an appearance lending some bitterness to the finish. Tons of dark fruits, candied cherries, and other sweet things. Gets a tad rough when it reaches room temperature, but you should be sharing this with friends!

D - I liked this one more than Fourteen but less than Thirteen. Still, the alcohol per dollar ratio can't be beat, and these He'Brew offerings continue to pleasantly surprise me. Far more drinkable than other beers with the same ABV for some reason. (1,189 characters)

Very sweet - which I like. Nothing spectacular - if you like molasses and dark fruit - you will like this - don't expect much else - the word "balance" does not apply to this beer. The alcohol is present but not overwhelming, other than in my head. (419 characters)

Appearance: Pours out a very, very dark brown body with a large-sized, toasted khaki-colored head.

Smell: Layers of sugar, dark syrup, sugar, and more sugar over roasted fruits with a spritz of swelling liquor. Over the years, their anniversary brews have gone from bold and big to now morbid and despondent.

Overall: I thought last year's Fourteen needed some time to settle and smooth out, and I most certainly feel the same for Fifteen (plus a tall glass of water to help wash it down). It's all quite decent (for a 15% brew), but I'm really beginning to long for the big, bold, but more well-rounded anniversary brews of past years. (1,188 characters)

pours a deep brown almost black with some ruby highlights. a full inch of khaki colored head quickly settles into a thin ring. nose is dominated by brown sugar, but lets some dark fruit and molasses peek thru. taste is very swet with brown sugar leading the way again. also taste some figs and raisins. hints of bread, nuts, and chocolate are in there as well. mouthfeel is very full and sticky. goes down creamy, has good carbonation, and a little bitterness from the hops, and you can't ignore the warming feeling thru out this drink. overall this is a bit much for me. it seems to be well balanced for a beer with fifteen of everything, and also seems to be better the warmer it is. (685 characters)

Dark colored body, almost completely opaque. Small amount of brown head on top of stagnant appearance of the body. Aroma contains notes of molasses, chocolate malt, dark fruit. Toffee aromas pertrude throughout. Flavor contains a center of strong molasses, cocoa, figs, and raisins. Brown sugar apparent in this sugary malt bomb. Finish provides an inkling of hops, but the sugary malt is still the predominant force in this beer. Alcohol percentage is greatly noticed, as this beer is a slow sipper. Aftertaste leaves molasses and the thick mouthfeel coating on the palate, with the spicey hop finish lingering. Overall, a strong beer but not very drinkable, a bit too sweet and cloying. (688 characters)

Appearance – Pours into a tulip with an utter dark opaque color. A surprising amount of head for such a high ABV beer. Almost two fingers of tan head is achieved with a relatively hard pour that dissipates slowly and leaves thick lacing.

Deep, deep ruby brown colored beer, very nearly black. A small and bubbly tan head sits on top and dissapates quickly down to nothing but a bubbly patch on one side, the other side with no head at all. Very complex nose, with a little bit of everything. Some things that come to mind are figs, tobacco, raisin, dark stone fruits, toasty dark malts, and of course a soft but slightly burning booziness. Its hard to pinpoint any one thing that stands out, but I know I like it. Its very aromatic and seemingly heavy.

Can't say I've ever had a beer that tasted much like this. Shares some qualities with really good port, but not nearly as sweet. Its a complex bunch of flavors that takes on a different life on every part of the palate. It starts sweetish, with a juicy burst of fresh stone fruits in front that moves into more of a dried fruit taste in the front-middle. Throughout this, a dark chocolate runs through the taste, creating a layer of deep complextity from start to finish. The dried fruit tastes transform into a dark roasted malt and coffee-like taste in the middle of the palate that gives the beer a certain weight, as well as a great little flavorful punch for the sake of balance. This all moves into an almost barleywine like fresh apple taste that is very subtle, but again adds another weird layer of complexity. It finally finishes with a big hoppy kiss that is both bitter and balancing. This hoppiness very nearly covers the alcohol tastes, but a bit more than a breath of that 15% ABV finds its way through. And not unpleasantly as a good sipping beer. It would be very easy for that 15% to be cloying, but it seems weighed down by the roasty taste in the middle and the herbal and earthy hops in the end. The finish is both juicy and then dry, giving even more depth. There is a lingering mix of pretty much everything from the taste profile in the aftertaste as well.

What a crazy beer. It seems to have that "everything but the kitchen sink" mentality, but it all works together in some way. Its deeply complex, but the flavors are so bountiful that you don't need to search hard see that. Very unique beer, and perfect for splitting with a friend or two if you want something different that is on the extreme side of things. Definitely give it a shot if you see it. (2,299 characters)

A - Pours an almost completely dark brown with some spots of ruby permeating the darkness. It settles into a mix of ruddy brown with blacks and reds flecked throughout. An active and frothy head steadily builds, culminating in 1.5-fingers of foam with nice retention, especially given the abv in this. The lacing leaves a little to be desired, however, with only minimal amounts sticking around.

S - Given the absolute cluster of ingredients in this, it's hard to pinpoint specifics in the aroma as many different smells come into play at varying times. I am getting more of a malty profile rather than hoppy, with a strong focus on sweet, earthy notes in the form of molasses, brown sugar, leather, and coffee grounds before transitioning into a lighter. fruitier note on the back-end. There's a good blend of pitted fruits here combined with the juicier citrus tones. There is a surprising amount of pine in here as well which seems to serve as a nice bridge between the grittier malts and airy citrus. In the finish, a touch of alcohol comes through, but the other characteristics do a good job of cover this as best as they can.

T - My first sip leaves me a bit torn as to which side this beer is pulling me towards. It is certainly full of rich, hearty malts, but right when I think it's going to lead to a crescendo of sweetness, it pulls back suddenly into a rather bitter mid-palate feeling where the espresso, chocolate, and flaked oats take over. This actually seems to be the strongest part of the taste, forsaking the noticeable dichotomy presented in the nose in favor of a taste that hits me all at once and leaves the drinker to decipher what to get out of it. It is important to note that this is mainly decided by the temperature of the beer, because as it warms it becomes sweeter and even a little more nuanced. The finish incorporates alcohol-soaked cherries, raisins, orange, pine, and some herbal qualities. A nice amount of booze is present; not overbearingly so but enough to let you know that this packs a punch.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with nice carbonation. A full mouthfeel without being syrupy, this beer finishes remarkably dry which helps keep it from being too overpowering as the flavors here are bold. A long-lasting finish keeps this developing well after you are done drinking.

D/O - Drinkability is moderately high. I felt that this came together a lot better than I was expecting. Coming into this beer, I was expecting the 15 malts, 15 hops, and 15% abv to essentially be a gimmick; a brewery wanted to commemorate its 15th anniversary by going all out but not in hopes of creating a drinkable beer. However, I was wrong in that regard and it uses the ambitious recipe to deliver a beer that evolves and develops constantly, so while it's hard to track how each ingredient impacts the beer, I can certainly appreciate that the overall profile undergoes multiple changes throughout drinking the bottle. (2,997 characters)

Dark, rosewood brown with ruby red highlights when backlit and a thick cocoa colored head of smooth foam that leaves plenty of lace on the glass. The aroma is rich and complex, dark fruit, molasses and rum with a touch of fruity hops.

Dark brown sugar, black strap molasses and flavors of dates, plums and raisin with some alcoholic heat and enough hops to keep the brew from being cloyingly sweet.

Full bodied with a syrupy coating that lasts a few seconds after each sip and smooth carbonation. One of the best deals ever for an "extreme" release.

This beer rivals many of the hard to find limited release beers and at $6 a pop it's a real bargain.

I wonder how long Shmaltz can keep this annual release going at this price. L'Chaim! (744 characters)

A -Maybe a 3/4 finger solid beige head. Quickly dissipates, but that is right for a strong ale. Dark black, barely able to see any brown when held up to the light.

S - Great chocolate and some sweeter notes. Things like cherries, prunes, molasses and the like. Yes, it's good.

T - The sweet is a bit much like they tossed in too much white sugar. Otherwise very good milk chocolate, caramel, and molasses flavors.

M - A heavy body that has slightly lighter carbonation. Definitely sticks in the mouth.

O - There is no doubt this is a great beer for the money. I get it for $7 and I know some get it for cheaper in places. Would think this was a $15 bottle and not think twice about buying it. My rating says it, but it doesn't matter how much it costs, this is a good beer. (804 characters)

Ah, Jewbelation. I have a soft spot for this beer, as it's one of the beers that introduced me to high-gravity craft back in the day. With each year it becomes a little more over the top. But it's still affordable, at $7 a pop.

A: Pours an opaque, mahogany body capped with 1" of mocha-colored head that lasts and lasts. Hmm. It's well-carbed for a 15% beer, and the anticipation it builds is quite nice.

S: Cinnamon, bread, toffee, chocolate, and dark fruits. I expected this to be as grape-dominated as I remembered some past Jewbelations being, but it has more of a brown sugar aroma instead.

T: I'm pleasantly surprised by what I can pick up. The treacly grape flavors of the past have vanished, replaced with a more robust brown sugar, cinnamon, bread, toffee, caramel, chocolate. Lots of malts were used here, and instead of blending into a hopeless mess, they contribute a nice, substantial character to the beer. I enjoy the fig and orange flavors I pick up in the finish. It's lightly boozy, but very well hidden for a beer of its size. While I've described all the malts so far, I should mention that there seems to be enough bitterness and attenuation to prevent the beer from being syrupy (though it IS sweet, don't get me wrong).

A: Dark brown with a half finger of tan head which holds very well.S: TOFFEE, lots of toffeeT: Very complex , toffee up front with raisins in the backround, no alcohol in the slightestM: Heavy,very light carbonationOverall: Gonna pick up a another one if i see one. Overall a very good sipping beer, impressed. (314 characters)

Look – very very dark brown, with about half a finger’s worth of dark tan-colored foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell – much like the description belies…it seems very heavy on malts, but with a kick that would result from a heavy amount of hops as well. Sweeter notes from maybe molasses or caramel, and biscuity hints to boot.

Taste – the malts get the first stab at the palate. Right away one notices a sweet but firmly based, biscuity/chocolaty/roasted coffee-like taste, which permeates into the middle part of the tasting as well. The hops don’t even make an appearance until toward the finish and are felt through the aftertaste, but again the malts and extracts win out there too.

Mouthfeel – quite well on the creamy side, but that would be expected from a brew with so many malts added.

Overall – despite the even balance of hops and malts, the malts seem to take precedence in this ale. I don’t mind it, but it’s something to be worth noting I think. Very interesting tasting brew, and well worth the try! (1,084 characters)